Clothes rack



A. E. BERDON CLOTHES RACK May 10, 1932.

Filed Dec. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sfieet 1 mwowfi VENTOR AQFFORNEY A. E. BERDON CLOTHES RACK May 10, 1932.

Fiied Dec. 2. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A oNEY latented May 10, 1932 ALBERT E; BERDON, or EAST ORANGE, new JERSEY a If cLo'rHEs RACK Application filed December2, 1929 Serial No. 410,992.

The objects of this invention are'to provide a rack suitable for drying. clothes in apartments and like places where space is limited, which will afford a maximum of drying facilities with a minimum of weight and size, which will be foldable in a smallspace when not in use, easily portable, set up'and taken down, which will be inexpensive and of a nature not to detract from its surroundings and'which will be thoroughlypractical and eflicient.

These objects are attained by certain novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts as hereinafter pointed on and broadly covered in the claims.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification illustrate two of the many possible commercial embodiments of the invention, it being understood that theexact form may vary without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

broken perspective View llus Fig. 1is a trating the rack as set upand in use; Fig. 2

is an enlarged broken side elevation of the rack; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of; the rack in folded condition; Fig. 4 is an end view illustrating the rack in its position of use Fig.

5 is a broken part sectionaldetail illustrating the end fastening of one "of the cl'othessupporting rods or wires; Fig. 6 isbroken part sectional end view showinga modified form of the invention. Fig.3? is; a broken perspective view of this second form of the rack.

the invention is the cons ruction and arrangement ofthe'rack in such a way thatit may be combinedwith abath tub utilizing the latteras a'base or support for the .rack and as a drain to catch the drip from the clothes. This novel combination furthermore, locates the rack'with its clothes in sucha position that it is out of. the way'and fromsightby drawing theucurtains with which thetub is usuallyequippedr it 1' The particular combination described is as illustrated in Fig. 1 ,where .the rack is indicated generally at 7 supported in elevated relation over thetub 8 and of a size and shape to be accommodated-within the enclosure of the bath curtains 9. "I i 7 In the fdetail views,it will be seeriithat 1 to 4, the supports One of the important practical features of actually can behidden rack shownin the present disclosure is made up of alight generally rectangular frame 10. ofangle iron, arranged with the two flanges at the top and at the inside of the frame','with' rods orwires 11 spacedin convenient relation, and extending longitudinally between the vertical end flanges of the frame. These rods or wires or other clothes supporting elements or element,- may be secured in any suitable way, At present, it is preferred to use sep- .60" arate'lengths of relatively stiff wire, each length flattened or headedat one end at 12to shoulderagainst one end flange and threaded at the opposite end at 13 to receive a-nut 14; w bearing against the opposite-end flange. This 05 construction is cheap but particularly eflicient and desirable, because the rodscan be quickly engaged in the frame, the laterally extend ing lugs12 hold'the rods against turning while the nuts are being tightened up. These nuts enable a desired degree oftension being exerted to hold the wires tight against rattling and the construction permits of anybroken rods being quickly and easily replaced at any time. To utilize thetub as the support, the frame of the rack is (equipped with suitable posts or lugs designed to cooperate with thetub structure and preferably arranged tofold'in fiat relation to theframe when not in service.

v In the formof theinvention shown in Figs.-

are of generally'u shape consisting of'the side ipieces l5 pivoted at their upper ends to the side flangesof the frame at 16an'd connected at their-lower 35 ends by transversely extending reaches 17. Theseilatter are shown as adjustably connected by clamps in the form of C-shaped clips 18'surr0un'ding overlapped portions of the same and secured by set screws 19. As particularly shown in Fig. 4, this adjustable; connection enables the dependent supports ofthe frame to be spread or approached more or less to fitwthemto different widths oftubs.- f Y Y At the lower" ends, the supporting members, 15 are shouldered or otherwisesuitably"'- shaped or constructed asindicated at 20 to v fit or properly cooperate with the rim' of -the tub,'and to preventscratching, these rim en- 3 ated: may be made of gaging portions may be protected as by means of sleeves 21 of rubber tubing or the like. The upright supports 15 may be initially given a slight outward bow as indicated in Fig. 4, providing a certain degree of outward spring to yieldingly grip the tub. This facilitates the set-ting of the clamps to hold the members where they will best fit the tub and because of these members to remain engaged with the tub if the clamps should accidently come loose.

To hold the supporting legs in both operative and inoperative relation, special spring clamps are provided in the present disclosure in the form of springplates 22 secured over the outer faces of the members 15 by the pivot rivets 16, said plates having inbent flanges 23positioned to serve as stops l1miting' the downward swinging movements of the'sup-ports to theupright position shown in Fig. 2 and provided opposite said flanges with inbent vertical shoulders 24 and horizontall shoulders 25. The two rectangularly related shoulders 24 and 25 are shown as provided by indentingthe corner portions 26 of the plates on the rectangular lines described, thus enabling shoulders 24 to yieldingly hold the supports in, the upright relation and shoulders 25 to yieldingly retain the supports in the folded by the dotted lines. These plates are suflicien-tly springy to yield as the. legs are swung from one position to the other, the inwardly struck portions 26' serving as inwardly extending stop lugs or, cams cooperating with the edges of the supporting legs.

The spring plates are also shown in Fig. 2-

against the unas approximating, or bearing flanges of the dersides of the horizontal frame, so that said holding plates can not turn with the swinging movements' ofthe lugs. The 'inturned stop flanges 23 at the outer edges; of the plates may extend across the endspof the plates as indicated, soas to reinforce and Lstiffen the plates to an extent, saving them against permanent distortion 3 when they are sprung out of the flat plane bythe shifting position to. the other. These lugs as indiordinary flat strip material and all the parts may be suitably rust-proofed or be made of rust-proof ma teriajl,

V This device is quickly set up for use by simply swinging the legs downwardly'tothe plac ngthe upstanding position and then rack over the tub with the curved feet 20. resting on the rim of the tub. In this conthe base or tub-and therack legs serving to hold the clothes sup-porting members at'such a height that the clothes will. hang free ofthe bottom ofithe tub. In addition-to its function then ,as; a. support, the-tub serves as a catch or position indicated of the lugs from one drain for the drip from the clothes. The rack frame preferably does not extend out appreciably beyond the outlines of the tub and consequently the curtains may be drawn to entirely conceal the rack and the wash which it supports.

It will be clear from the foregoing thatthe invention resideslargely in the combination of the special rack and tub and the c'urta'infor hiding and protecting the rack with its. wash supported in the tub. It will be evident also that the particular form of the rack may vary still within the scope of this invention, for example, as indicated in Figs. 6 and '7, where the rack is designed to be supported in an inclined relation on the tub by means of sh ort dependent supports Q'Zat the lower cornersof the frame engagfolding supporting; lugs 2.8-

the nature of the U-shaped frame 29 pivoted at its upper;

ends at 39 to the'rack frame andshouldered as at 31 to engage the opposite rim portion of the tub.

s s cond f m of same as the first, can be "folded; intosmall space and stowed away behind a door or in a closet and when required for use can be quickly set up on the tub and be concealed by the tub curtains. r As shown in Fig. l, the guards on the legs of the-rack may be of split construction, so as to be engaged the more readily over the shouldered feet portions of the legs. This view also shows how clothing, such as stockings, maybe suspended full length, as by catching them on: the rods or lines by means of ordinary clothes pins.

What is, claimed is V 1. A- clothes drier, comprising a rack of a size to fit over a bath tub and carrying lines for hanging drying clothes, said rack being. provided with feet for supporting the same in elevated position above a bath tub, said feet being collapsible. to en able storing of-the rack incompactly folded relation when'not in actual service, said folding supporting structure includ-ing'dependent legs hinged to. the body of the rack and the invention, the

foldable'thereagainst and overlying spring legs in their various positions of adj ustment,

2-. .A clothes rack, comprising a frame,

supporting legs pivoted thereto, spring overlying the'pi-voted portions of said legs and: havinginturned stop flanges and op.- posed to said step flanges-indented leg. portions, said stop flanges and leg portions en gaging overoppositeedges ofthe legs to yieldinglyiretain the same in position.

3..A' clothes rack, comprising an angle iron frame-provided with clotheshangingelements and arranged with the fla'ngesofsaid frame uppermost and innermost, a. supportplates' ing leg and a pivot member securing said leg in pivoted relation to said inner flange of the frame, a spring retaining plate secured. by said pivot member in position overlying the leg, said plate having engagement beneath the upper flange of the frame to limit rotative movement of the same and being provided with an inwardly struck lug portion engageable with different portions of the leg to yieldingly retain the same swung into folded relation against the frame or into extended position for supporting the frame.

4:. A clothes rack, comprising an angle iron frame provided with clothes hanging elements and arranged with the flanges of said frame uppermost and innermost, a supporting leg and a pivot member securing said leg in pivoted relation'to said inner flange of the frame, a springretaining plate sepivot member in position over lying the leg, said plate having engagement beneath the upper flange of the frame to limit rotative movement of the same and being provided with an inwardly struck lug portion engageable with different portions of the leg to yieldingly retain the same swung into folded relation against the frame or into extended position for supporting the frame, said spring plate furthermore having an inturned flange in opposition to said inwardly struck lug portion stiffening the plate against permanent distortion from the springing of the same by the leg movement aforesaid.

5. A clothes rack, comprising a frame of light angle iron, arranged with the flanges of the same horizontal and vertical and with the vertical flanges at the inside of the frame and the horizontal flanges at the top of the frame projecting outwardly beyond the vertical flanges, supporting members pivoted to the vertical flanges beneath the outstandcured by said ing portions of the horizontal flanges and the frame their outer ends protected beneath the over clothes supporting elements strung across between the vertical flanges with standing portions of the horizontal flanges.

6. A clothes rack, comprising a frame of light angle iron having vertical and horizontal flanges, clothes supporting wires extending across the frame and engaged in the vertical end flanges of the frame, said wires having laterally struck lugs forming antiturning shoulders engageable with the flanges and screw threaded ends for receiving nuts engageable with the flanges 'to tighten the wires in the frame.

7. A clothes rack, comprising a. continuous one-piece light angle iron frame having the flanges of the same disposed vertically and horizontally, the vertically disposed flanges having openings therein at the ends of the same, clothes supporting wires engaged in said openings and each having a head at one end for engagement with the vertical flange folded up beneath the frame or rigidly ex tended for cooperative engagement with a bath tub structure.

8. A clothes rack,

said frame, U-shaped supports pivoted at their ends to said frame and having between such ends connecting reaches extensible and contractable to fit different tubs and means for adjustably retaining said comprising a light rigidframe, clothes supporting lines carried b-y widths of bath" extensible and contractable reaches in adjusted relation for proper engagement with tubs of different widths.

9. A clothes rack, comprising a light angle iron frame provided with means for supporting the same in a generally horizontalrelation, said frame in such relation having the flanges of the same disposed horizontally and vertically, with the horizontal flanges atthe top of the frame and the vertical flanges below the horizontal flanges and at the inside of the frame, the supporting means for the same being pivoted to the vertical flanges in position beneath and covered by the overstanding portions of the horizontal flanges and clothes supporting lines engaged with the vertical flanges having end securing abutments disposed beneath and covered by the horizontal outstanding flanges.

In testimony whereof I afflx my signature.

ALBERT E. BERDON. 

